The present invention relates generally to therapeutic cooling or heating cuffs for human or veterinary applications and is more particularly concerned with such cuffs wherein the active cooling or heating component comprises a heat of fusion composition.
It is well known that various orthopedic human and animal maladies, such as strains, sprains, ligament and muscle tears, tendonitis, impact traumas and the like can be effectively treated by the application of heat or cold to the affected body member. While various equipments such as diathermy, ultra-sound, infra-red, whirlpool baths and similar apparatuses can deliver such thermal treatments, one of the disadvantages thereof is that, because of their bulk, weight and need for electric power, the patient, whether human or animal, must generally be transported from the site of injury or onset of the malady to the treating apparatus. In most instances, of course, it is preferable to apply the thermal treatment as quickly as possible after the onset of the malady or injury. Another problem utilizing such devices is that ambulation of the patient is usually severely restricted during treatment therewith and that, perforce, such treatment is usually measured in terms of minutes rather than for generally more therapeutically helpful periods of one or more hours. In partial response to these deficiencies various thermal packs or cuffs have been developed whereby immediate first aid treatment of injuries can be applied. Perhaps the simplest of these cuffs is a rubber tube filled with ice or hot water. The longevity of the treatment available with such cuffs is usually dictated by the mass of the water contained therein, that is to say, the smaller the mass of water contained the less the time of effective treatment available therefrom. At the very least, therefore, such water or ice filled cuffs tend to require periodic replacement of the contents with fresh ice or hot water in order to maintain the therapeutic value of the treatment and this cycle time tends to be quite short, usually on the order of fifteen minutes to about one-half hour. Other known therapeutic thermal cuffs are known wherein the active heat or cold producing component depends upon endothermic or exothermic reactions between separate and distinct ingredients which are mixed at the time of use. While temporarily effective, it is clear that such devices are capable of but a single use and that the disposal of the spent chemical packs poses a waste disposal problem or hazard.
In accordance with the present invention, however, there is provided a therapeutic thermal cuff device in which many of the above deficiencies are eliminated or substantially ameliorated.